Sites with extensive links

Mineralogy and Petrology Research on the Web - includes links to Journals, Publishers, Topic-oriented Sites, Mineralogical Databases, Professional Societies, Laboratories, Surveys, and other Organizations, Research Groups, Mineral Collecting and Commercial, Sites, and Basic Resources. Compiled by Andrea Koziol of Dayton (Ohio) University.

Science and Technology Resources on the Internet - The Geosciences: Selected Web Resources - This bibliography contains links to and brief descriptions of a variety of web resources, including reference works, publication indexes, style and citation manuals, photographs and images, earth science education resources as well as sources related to specific sub-disciplines of the geological sciences. Compiled by Linda Zellmer of Western Illinois University.

Mineral and Petrology Databases

Mindat.org - The largest mineral database on the internet. It was started by Jolyon Ralph in 1993 as a PC mineralogy software package for his own use - and was launched for free on the web in October 2000. Currently there are 11,125 different minerals, varieties and synonyms listed, and information on 144,323 mineral occurrences worldwide, from 26,867 different sites. What makes mindat.org different is you can take part. People all over the world are already adding their information into the database - it doesn't matter if you're an expert or not - you can help - register and add in the information on your local sites.

Mineral Spectroscopy Server - information about color in minerals and access to data on Mineral Absorption Spectra in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum and Raman spectra of minerals. Most data on the server were obtained in the California Institute of Technology mineral spectroscopy labs.

Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references. By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

LEPR, the Library of Experimental Phase Relations - an online database of experimentally determined magmatic phase relations compiled by members of Marc Hirschmann’s and Tim Groves’s research groups at the University of Minnesota and MIT and the database structure and web interface was built by Mark Ghiorso of OFM Research. LEPR contains experimental data on coexisting minerals and melts quenched from magmatic experiments, including phase compositions and, when available, proportions. LEPR also includes data pertaining to experimental techniques, such as the type of experimental device and container employed during each experiment, the duration of each experiment, and so on. Experimental conditions range from 0.1 MPa to 27 GPa and from 500 to 2550°C. More data will be added in the future. User registration is required but access is free.

MineralPedia by Tom Loomis of Dakota Matrix Minerals - alphabetical listing of the minerals combined with short descriptions the mineral's properties, the origin of its name, as well as geographic and geologic occurrences.

Mineral discussion and message boards

FMF - Minerals Forum - a place to share questions and answers with other mineral enthusiasts in both English and Spanish. Created by Jordi Fabre, it is moderated by John S. White and Peter Megaw to provide high standards in terms of its scientific content.

Mindat Chatroom - This is the chatroom for the www.mindat.org website and is dedicated to chatting about minerals, mineralogy, geology, rockhounding, fossils and lapidary! The chatroom is an English-Language chatroom.

MSA-Talk - The MSA-Talk list is a forum created for members of MSA and non-members to discuss topics of interest in the general areas of mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, and crystallography.

Jeff Weeks' Topology and Geometry Software. Play with the 17 plane groups, the 10 point groups (plus 5-fold symmetry) and even symmetry along a line geometrygames.org. Click on Kali, and download the appropriate version. Easy to use, just start it and click away.

Jeff Weeks' Topology and Geometry Software. Play with the 17 plane groups, the 10 point groups (plus 5-fold symmetry) and even symmetry along a line geometrygames.org. Click on Kali, and download the appropriate version. Easy to use, just start it and click away.

Sites devoted to a specific mineral(s) or rock(s)

Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references. By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

YupRocks.com by Brooks R. Dillard - high-resolution rock and mineral pictures to help visitors in the field identification of rock and mineral specimens and promote the aesthetic value and natural wonder of rocks and minerals through the use of rock and mineral pictures.

MineralPedia by Tom Loomis of Dakota Matrix Minerals - alphabetical listing of the minerals combined with short descriptions the mineral's properties, the origin of its name, as well as geographic and geologic occurrences.

Minerals Publications and Data Products of the U.S. Geological Survey - this is the place to look for information about mineral commodities: uses, industry, production, prices, publications, occurrences, etc. It also contains of list of commodity specialiists who might be able to answer your questions about the economic aspects of mineral commodities.

Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references. By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

Sites that are mineral-related

Virtual transmitted and reflected light Petrographic Microscopes

Virtual Atlas of Opaque and Ore Minerals in their Associations - from Birmingham University. This site provides over 400 full colour photomicrographs of the major ore-forming associations and opaque minerals in non-mineralized rocks. It describes typical examples of each material from many classical localities throughout the world. For each association there is a listing of the major (and important minor) primary ore minerals, alteration products and gangue, typical textures, a brief discussion of the geology of the association and a list of references.

The Open University's Virtual Microscope is a series of collections. Every rock sample in each collections is accompanied by a virtual thin section so that you can study the mineral optical properties, grain size, shape and proportion, and also analyse the rock micro textures as if using a specialist polarising microscope. Virtual hand specimens are available for many of the samples. Each hand specimen is a digital object that can be turned as if it was in your hand. The hand specimen can be examined as if using a hand lens, by zooming in to examine the minerals, grains or fossils in its surface.

UKVM. The United Kingdom Virtual Microscope (UKVM) collection consists of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks from around the UK.